Hydraulic continuous press for concrete and the like



May 16, 1944.

A. FALASCONI 2,349,150

HYDRAULIC commuous PRESS FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed June 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l k7/er 20 Fa/as can f,

May 16, 1944- A. FALASCONI HYDRAULIC CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed June 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 on red 3 slidable in cylinder I. ends cylinder I has a port for the introduction Patented May 16, 1944 HYDRAULIC CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Alberto Falasconi, Fermignano, Italy; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,835 In Italy July 4, 1939 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a press actuated with compressed liquids or gases, with continuous operation, adapted for the conveyance and the application of cement, mortars, concrete and the like.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a-side elevationof the device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the left side of the operating mechanism of the device.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail of the driving cylinder.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the drawings, the device has a large cylinder -I and a pair of smaller cylinders 2, one on either side of the cylinder I, the three cylinders being coaxial, and having a common piston rod 3. A double-face piston 4 is mounted At each of its of the fluid under pressure to reciprocate the piston 4. A piston 6 is mounted on the rod 3 in each-of the cylinders 2. On the outer end of each cylinder 2, there is provided a valve I to control the supply to and discharge from each cylinder 2 of the material. Each Valve I has acasing having the horizontal co-axial ports (3 and 9, the former communicating with'the cylinder 2 and the latter suitable for the discharge of the material from the device. Thecasing also has-a port It between the ports 8 and 9, with a vertical axis. Suitably journaled in the casing is a rotatable valve-gate H adapted to open and close the ports '9 and Ill alternatively. Supply tubes 12 connect an elevated reservoir I3, for the material, with the ports III of the valves I.

Suitably mounted above the cylinder I, there is a cylinder I4 in which there is a reciproc'able piston I5 provided with three conduits I6, I I and I 8. Each of these conduits has a vertical and horizontal portion (Fig. 5). The vertical portions of all of the conduits have their ends opening through the bottom I'Q of the piston I5; The conduits I5 and I8 towards the ends of the piston I5 respectively, have the ends of their horizontal portions opening on one side of the piston I5,*an-d the conduit I1, between conduits I5 and I8, has the end of its horizontal portion opening on the opposite side of the piston I 5 (Fig. 3-). 'I'he'cylinder 'M, in which the .piston I5 reciprocates, has

in its bottom I9 two ports 2!! connected by conduits 2| with the ports 5 in cylinder I (Fig. 2). The ports 20 are so related that when the piston I15'is reciprocated to the left end of the cylinder M (Fig. 2), the open lower ends of conduits i1 and I-8 register with the ports 29 and communicate through conduits 2I with ports 5 in cylinder 1, and when the piston I5 is at the right end of cylinder I4, the open lower ends of conduits it and I! register with the ports 29.

Suitably mounted on one side of cylinder it (Fig 3) is a chamber 22 in communication through the wall of cylinder I4 with the open ends of the "horizontal portions of conduits I6 and 48 through the side of piston I5 when the piston I5 is at the left and right ends of the cylinder I4, respectively. A conduit 23 supplies the fluid underpressure to the chamber 22. Suitably mounted .on the other side of the cylinder I4 isa chamber 24 in communication through the wall of cylinder I4 with the open end of the horizontal portion of conduit I! through the side of piston stood that the device has two units for driving the piston IE to the right and to the left respectiviely. As these two units are identical, the details of only one are shown in the drawings (Fig. 2) and it is to be understood that the following descriptions of the details of structure of the unit on the left end of the cylinder I4, illustrated in the drawings, applies also to the details of structure of the other unit on the right end of the cylinder I4. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the left unit comprises a suitable housing 26 secured to the left end of the cylinder M, and having therein a conduit 27 connected at one end with the interior of the cylinder I l and at the other end with a bore 28 connected with a chamber-29 into which the fluid under pressure is supplied by a pipe 30 connected with supply pipe 23 (Fig. 1). A valve 3| in chamber 29 serves to close the bore 28 when pressed :to the left by spring 32 bearing on cap 3-3 for the chamber 23. The valve 3| has a stem 34 passed through the bore 28 and spaced therefrom to form an annular passage from the chamber 29 to the conduit 27.

end of stem 34 into the chamber 35. A percussor 3B is slidably mounted in chamber 35, being urged to the left by spring 39 and having on its inner face a suitable stopper 40 for closing the end of the bore 36 when the percussor 38 is moved to the right against spring 39. A discharge conduit 4! is provided to evacuate fluid from the chamber 35. The percussor 38 is actuated by a lever 42 suitably fulcrumed at 43 and rocked by rod 44 actuated by piston 4 in the cylinder I. The lever 42 is adapted to bear against a pin 45 on a rod 46 of the piston I5 whereby the initial movement of piston I5 is produced by action of lever 42.

The rods 45, extending on opposite sides from the reciprocating piston I5, are suitably connected by crank arms with rotatable discs 41 connected by links 48 with discs 49 mounted on the casings of the valves I for rotating the valvegates I I and provided with arms 55 on which are adjustably mounted counter-weights 5|.

The operation of the device will now be explained. Fluid under pressure fromany suitable source such as a centrifugal pump is supplied by pipe 23 to the chamber 22. When the piston I5 is at the left end of the cylinder I4 (Figs. 2 and 3), communication is established through conduit I8 of piston I5 from the chamber 22 to the right hand conduit 2| of cylinder I, and the fluid is thereby conducted to cylinder I and exerts pressure on the piston 4 to move it to the left end of cylinder I, thereby evacuating fluid from cylinder I through the left hand conduit 2|, and the conduit H to chamber 24 and pipe 25 for discharge from the device. The movement of piston 4 causes rod 3 to move piston 6 in cylinder 2 to the right of cylinder I, so that cylinder 2 is charged with material from hopper I3 through tube I2 and valve "I, its valve-gate being so disposed as to open port Ill and close port 9. The movement of rod 3, as above described, causes the piston 6 in cylinder 2 to the left of cylinder I to discharge material through valve I, its valve-gate II being in position to open port 9 and close port It (Fig. 2), thereby delivering a charge of material as desired.

It will be noted that when the piston 4 approaches the end of its travel to the left (Fig. 4) it moves the rod 44, in the left end of cylinder I, which rocks lever 42 which moves piston rod 45 to the right, thereby initiating movement of piston I5. The lever 42 also causes percussor 38 to move to the right, closing the end of bore 38 with stopper 45 and moving stem 34 to unseat valve 3|, permitting the fluid under pressure in chamber 29 to flow through bore 28 and conduit 21 into cylinder I4 at its left end and move piston I5 to the right end of cylinder I4. This shift of piston I5 brings conduit It in communication with chamber 22 and conduit 2I on the left of cylinder I, so that the fluid under pressure is conducted from chamber 22 to cylinder I to move piston 4 to the right end of cylinder I. When piston I5 is at the right end of cylinder I4, the conduit II connects the conduit 2I at the right side of cylinder I with chamber 24 so that as the piston 4 moves to the right the fluid is evacuated from cylinder I to chamber 24 and discharged through pipe 25.

It is to be noted that as piston I5 is moved by the above described action of the fluid admitted from chamber 29 of one actuating unit, it evacuates the fluid in cylinder I4 on the other side of piston I5, through conduit 21, slots 31, bore 35, chamber 35 and pipe M of the other unit.

It is obvious that reciprocation of the rods 46 by the movements of piston I5, as above described, actuate the discs 41 which through links 48 move the discs 49 to rotate the valve-gates II of the valves I to alternately open and close the ports 9 and I0, to permit charging of the cylinders 2 with the material, and the discharge of the material therefrom.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a continuous operation press, particularly adapted for the transportation and the application of mortars, concrete, and like building materials, and having three coaxial cylinders, a piston rod and three coaxial pistons fixed on said piston rod and reciprocable respectively in said cylinders, one piston being the driving piston, and the other two being smaller driven pistons for pumping the mortar, thereby increasing the pressure of discharge above the pressure of the driving fluid, the combination of a cylindrical distributor controlling the reciprocation of the larger piston, said cylindrical distributor including a piston reciprocating in said cylindrical distributor and being traversed by three channels bent through an angle of which are all of equal diameters and spaced apart longitudinally at a distance equal to two diameters of one channel, the cylinder of the driving piston having admission ports, the lower orifices of the distributor piston being directed downwards and aligned in the direction of the admission ports of the cylinder of said driving piston of the press, the inlet openings of said channels being dephased at both ends of said cylinder.

2. IA press according to claim 1, having the walls of the cylindrical distributor pierced by three pairs of apertures having diameters and mutual spacing apart corresponding to the diameters and mutual spacing of the channels of the distributor piston, said piston being substantially twice the diameter of an aperture, two of said apertures being disposed at the lower portion of said cylindrical distributor and communicating with the cylinder of the driving piston, two more of said apertures being located at the sides for admitting driving fluid to said last mentioned cylinder, while the remaining two apertures are disposed substantially opposite the last mentioned apertures for the discharge of said fluid, and two of the channels of the distributor piston communicating with the exterior of said press through the corresponding apertures at each stroke of the piston when the intermediate channel of the three in said piston serves for the discharge of'the fluid in either extreme position of the driving piston.

3. A press according to claim 1, having two percussors individually located at the ends of the driving piston cylinder in the path of the driving piston so as to be alternately operated by contact with the ends of said driving piston, two valves respectively controlling the entry and discharge of driving fluid to and from the driving cylinder, two levers individually operating said valves and disposed adjacent to and actuated by the'percussors at the respective ends of the strokes of the driving piston, discharge channels being disposed in the distributor cylinder, and hollow stems on said valves with side ports communicating with the interiors of said stems and in a predetermined rest positionof each valve registering with the discharge channels in order to allow escape of spent driving fluid from said distributor cylinder.

4. A press according to .claim 1, having each of the smaller cylinders alined with th cylinder of the driving piston provided with a suction and discharge valve connected thereto for the concrete, or the like, said valve including a partially rotatable valve member rotatable through an angle of substantially 90 about an axis disposed transversely of the axis of said cylinders, and means for transmitting motion from the distributor piston to the suction and discharge valves including a connecting rod operated by the distributor piston, and a crank device operating each valve member, and being in turn actuated by said connecting rod. I

5. A press according to claim 1, having each of the smaller cylinders alined with the cylinder of the driving piston provided with a suction and discharge valve connected thereto for the concrete, or the like, said valve including a partially rotatable valve member comprising a cylindrical rotor forming a shutter sector, and a valve casing for said valve with three apertures, one being directed upwardly to communicate suction to the interior of the valve casing, a second communicating with the interior of the respectively adjacent smaller cylinder, and the third forming a discharge port for the concrete or the like, and said rotor or shutter sector including a pair of spaced side disks having a metal plate rigidly connecting said disks and having cutting edges, and said sector also being rotatable through an angle of substantially 90 in order to alternately cut on and close the third aperture or discharge port, and the first mentioned aperture at respectively predetermined phases.

6. A press according to'claim 1, having each of the smaller cylinders alined with the cylinder of the driving piston provided with a suction and discharge valve connected thereto for the concrete, or the like including a partially rotatable valve member rotatable through an angle of substantially about an axis disposed transversely of the axis of said cylinders, and means for transmitting motion from the distributor piston to the suction and discharge valves and effective to continue operation by the eiiect of the driving fluid driving the driving piston after being mechanically started to operate independently of the driving fluid, said means including in part, a connecting rod operated by the distributor piston and a crank device operated by said connecting rod and in turn operating each valve member.

'7. A press according to claim 1, having each of the smaller cylinders alined with the cylinder of the driving piston provided with a suction and discharge valve connected thereto for the concrete, or the like, said valve including a partially rotatable valve member rotatabl through an angle of substantially 90 about an axis disposed transversely of the axis of said cylinders, and means for transmitting motion from the distributor piston to the suction and discharge valves including a connecting rod operated by the distributor piston and a crank device operating each valve member, and being in turn actuated by said connecting rod, adjustable arms on each valve member and counterweights on said arms together ensuring a balanced and continuous operation of the apparatus as a whole.

ALBERTO FALASCONI. 

